I do enjoy some comedians who swear (or swore, as the case may be) profusely (George Carlin being an obvious example).

Remember how Eddie Murphy had a whole hilarious routine where he mocked Bill Cosby for calling him up on the phone and criticising his use of profanity in his act ("...I mean it's not like I just get up here in front of the audience and say 'Sh*t, d*mn, P*ssy! F* you everybody! Good night' and walk off the stage...")

I used to swear a lot as a kid. Older brothers and rock music will do that to you, I guess. Actually got in trouble for it a few times. One thing I noticed too is how people seem so much more offended by receiving the one-finger-salute than actually being cussed at. Come to think of it, most of the times I or others around me got seriously in trouble involved "the bird" rather than actual swearing.

Now, in my 20s, I think I tend to limit my swearing to when I'm with friends or when I'm frustrated/pissed off about something (yelling at the computer, yelling at stupid drivers, etc.). Now that I have nephews, I have to watch my language a little bit better. Also, when I'm with my friends and there are respectable ladies or families/children around, I also will be more conscientious about not swearing. Although, sadly, I've seen some people that still have no regard for those kinds of situations.

For me there is little element of morality involved when it comes to profanity, apart from a general notion that we should avoid unnecessarily hurting other people's feelings (and to that end profanity often violates that premise). I don't swear often in front of Junior because I want him to properly acculturate and learn that gratuitous use of profanity is not becoming of polite company. It's really more an issue of manners than anything else.

Before my life as a planner, I was a high school teacher. I taught the kids a few euphemistic replacements for various curse words, like "firetruck"... however, I realized that those replacement words didn't result in better manners and courtesy. Having a classroom where kids are saying things like, "What the firetruck?!" or "You motherfiretrucker" isn't making progress, since the intent of being rude is still preserved. If anything, I felt like I merely gave the kids permission to curse even more, even if they were "replacement" curse words.

I am Old School. I can curse like a planner in a men's bar, but restrain myself to an 'oh shoot' or 'fudge' in more polite settings. Never direected at a person...well there was that one time in a staff meeting...

One day in a general staff meeting at one of my previous jobs the troops were getting rather whiny and had bee for a long time. In general the ex director was a quiet soft spoken man told us all quite loudly that he was not taking this particular issue to the "f**king board, did we understand. That was the end of that.

Same employment, I was working with and individual that was cursing me with ALL the words and calling me everyone of the names she could think of demanding an explicit answer but would not give me time to answer in this explosion of words. She had me backed up to the edge of her porch and I was feeling very trapped. So I yelled back at her "If you would shut the F**K up I would give you an answer" It caught her off guard just enough for me to get past her and say what needed to be said.
Of course she ran to my boss and tattled on me. I got the, you must be professional speech.
I don't do things like that lightly but there is a certain time and place where used at the right time can stop and arguement. Not saying all the time...but I still think I had a reason

BUMP THIS THREAD

I am going to bump this thread given some of the language that has been used recently.

Personally, I am opposed to the use of profanity. I have kicked people out of my office for repeated use of profanity towards me. I also think that there are some other words that are not quite profanity but in my eyes fall in the exact same category. I don't think that they should be used on forum boards, or most of the places. My wife has even noticed that I don't swear when I hit my hand with a hammer or do some other injury to myself and there is no one else (or so I think) to hear.

Then we have the NFL and the new prohibition of the racial slur known as the N word. I am not a fan of the new regulation, but if they ban that, they should ban several others too. I think it is ignorant for them to ban the N word, and not the F word. I also think there is a double standard where it is acceptable in modern society for one race to use the N word, but not another race. That is in itself racist as the color of one's skin becomes a factor.

Overall, I don't understand it. Yes, they are just words, but what makes profanity anymore effective at getting a point across than any other word.

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. Time makes more converts than reason." - Thomas Paine Common Sense.

I am going to bump this thread given some of the language that has been used recently.

Personally, I am opposed to the use of profanity. I have kicked people out of my office for repeated use of profanity towards me. I also think that there are some other words that are not quite profanity but in my eyes fall in the exact same category. I don't think that they should be used on forum boards, or most of the places. My wife has even noticed that I don't swear when I hit my hand with a hammer or do some other injury to myself and there is no one else (or so I think) to hear.

Then we have the NFL and the new prohibition of the racial slur known as the N word. I am not a fan of the new regulation, but if they ban that, they should ban several others too. I think it is ignorant for them to ban the N word, and not the F word. I also think there is a double standard where it is acceptable in modern society for one race to use the N word, but not another race. That is in itself racist as the color of one's skin becomes a factor.

Overall, I don't understand it. Yes, they are just words, but what makes profanity anymore effective at getting a point across than any other word.

It's much more effective if you use it appropriately and sparingly. If you use is sparingly, it becomes more powerful when you actually use it.

I swear a lot around my friends and my wife. But my wife swears a lot too. I also grew up as wannabe thug white-boy, listening to NWA, Too Short and Ice T, so that explains a lot.

"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany"

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. Time makes more converts than reason." - Thomas Paine Common Sense.

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. Time makes more converts than reason." - Thomas Paine Common Sense.